Melitta is a Germany-based company selling coffee, and coffee makers
worldwide. The company was named after Melitta Bentz (1873–1950) who
founded the company in 1908. Many retailers today carry Melitta's
premium whole bean coffee products including Metro,
Loblaws, Longo's, Food Basics, Wal-Mart, Shopper's Drug Mart, and more.

A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to attend Melitta Media Breakfast
held at Maman Toronto. Maman Toronto is a lovely bakery/cafe located on
the mezzanine of First Canadian Place offering a taste of Southern
France. The breakfast event was an intimate
with a small group of media personnel and bloggers. We were also joined
by three representatives from Melitta; Donna Gray, David Viola, Ian
Buckingham. During the breakfast, we learned thoroughly about Melitta's
history, and their coffee products. Overall,
I thought that it was an engaging event, where we learned a lot, and
got a taste of Melitta Deluxe European Roast coffee. The Deluxe European
Roast is a traditional blend roasted a little darker resulting in a
medium dark roast with bold European taste. It
had a good aroma, and definitely something that I would drink in the
morning to start my day.

We were also treated to coffee-flavoured pastries made with Melitta
Coffee European Roast Ground that were exclusively made for the media
breakfast. It was served on a three-tier platter consisting of raisin
bread, almond croissant, madeleine with Melitta
coffee, and éclair with Melitta coffee. I liked that the coffee-infused
confections enhanced the flavors of the pastries without being
overwhelmingly strong or bitter.

Situated in the heart of the Financial District, The Drake’s Drake One Fifty, recently launched their weekend brunch. Chef de Cuisine, Jon Pong, and his team has created a menu to celebrate the season’s light flavors and bountiful produce that support many local purveyors and farmers. The menu includes brunch favorites like eggs benedict, pancakes, skillet French toast, and steak & eggs. Last weekend, I had the pleasure of attending an intimate tasting where guests got to sample the new brunch menu, and completed a hands-on cocktail masterclass (Caesar) with their head mixologist.Drake One Fifty uses locally sourced products daily, and this hasn't changed with their new brunch menu. They source bacon and pork from Perth Pork, beef from Cumbrae’s, walnuts from 100km Foods Inc., cheese from The Cheese Boutique, Ocean Wise sustainable seafood, seasonal Ontario produce and even foraged mushrooms. Quality dishes are of the utmost importance at Drake One Fifty, and this is evident in the dishes that are served to their customers.

The team at Drake One Fifty has also curated a cocktail program that perfectly complemented the new brunch menu including the popular Classic Drake Caesar.

Photo Credit: Drake One Fifty

The Blueberry Scones ($11) - clotted cream & jam was a delicious start to a morning brunch. The scones are freshly baked in-house every morning, and delightfully soft.

I opted for the Omelette ($16) - Bulgarian feta, grilled shiitake furikake, baguette crostin, as my choice of main course, and I am glad that I did. The omelette was a modern take on the brunch favorite, but they did add a unique spin to it by adding Bulgarian feta.

Wine Academy (IG @wineacademyto) is a new private members club in the heart of the Financial District. I had the pleasure of attending their launch party where we were treated to passed canapés with some wines. Guests also got the chance to have a tour of the wine cellar, which was pretty imposing.

The Wine Academy
is located underground on the corner of Bay and Richmond. It's a place
where wine aficionados and casual drinkers alike have the opportunity
to taste and store their wine collection in a sprawling multi-storied,
uber-chic, and ultra-urban 6000+ square foot space. The space itself was
beautifully decorated with wood, and the perfect space for private
events, business meetings, or social functions. Additionally, the location
that now houses Wine Academy used to be a gym, and the foundation of the
old interior was basically kept. However, the designers spruced it up to create a
more industrial yet classic interior. The natural finishes are mixed
with some metals and wood to create a rather warm environment; one that is
great to relax in.

** All photography of the interior are taken by Jimmy Li courtesy of Wine Academy **

Wine Academy came from the idea of creating a space where friends, clients and colleagues who appreciate dining out, entertaining and being social could come together,” said Aaron Joseph Bear Robe, Managing Partner and Executive Chef atWine Academy. “And, since food and wine are two of the most ubiquitous enjoyments life has to offer, The Wine Academy aimed to create a social club that celebrates just that. (source: http://www.wineacademy.ca/)

A personal Wine Academy membership costs $1000.00 annually, and the monthly cost of a wine storage unit is $150. The wine cellar is safe, and secure with multi-level security check to ensure that the wines are safely stored (integrated HVAC system controls temperature and humidity uniformly).

Lastly, it's not all about the wines, as Wine Academy also offers a
selection of locally sourced internationally inspired dishes. The
kitchen is headed by Executive Chef Aaron Joseph Bear Robe (Keriwa
Cafe) who brings forth a menu highlighting various flavors.

Book a tour (available Monday-Friday from 8 am to 9 pm) today to check out the facility.

Maman Toronto is a European bakery/cafe located on the mezzanine of First Canadian Place offering a taste of Southern France. They offer an assortment of baked goods, coffee drinks, sandwiches, cocktails, and salads. However, did you know that they also have an outdoor patio? I had the pleasure of attending their patio launch about two weeks ago where guests indulged on passed canapés, and cocktails while enjoying the warm weather.

Maman Toronto's patio is sizable, as it can seat 36 people, and overlooks the busy street of King St W. It's a great place to enjoy some delicious cocktails while indulging on classic French pastries. They actually have a great selection of freshly-baked pastries like croissants, tartelette, chouquette, cookies that are all baked in-house. Maman Toronto also offers a cinq-as-sept bar program (5 pm to 7 pm) with a carefully curated wine and cocktail list that perfectly complements the tapas dishes they served. You can read my blog on their tapas menu here. All of this can be enjoyed on the outdoor patio until the place is closed.

Although, the patio does not take reservations (first-come, first served), it is available for corporate and social functions. Given its vicinity to the Financial District, Maman Toronto's patio is a great place to visit during lunch or after work with friends and co-workers.

Method:Rub one side of the glass with the lemon wedgeRoll glass into the match saltIn a shaker, add lime juice, cucumber syrup, Chartreuse and tequilaShake for 15 secondsStrain into a glass with 2-3 ice cubes and serve!

Taste of Toronto is returning for its third year on June 23, 2016. The four-day celebration (June 23-26)
will be held at the Garrison Common at Fort York at 250 Fort York Blvd,
Toronto, ON. This year's event estimates to host an upward of 20,000
visitors, and promises to be adelightful food event. It is the place to
be, especially if you're a hardcore foodie as there will be plenty of
acclaimed chefs, top local restaurants, and over 70 exhibitors on site.
Aside from the great food, there will be live
demonstrations on the Taste Theatre stage, interactive Metro Master Classes, and sampling stations.

Earlier last week, they announced that celebrity chef Chuck Hughes
and Toronto restaurateur Anthony Rose are set to participate in the
city's hottest food festival. There is also a great line-up of local
chefs who will be present at the Taste of Toronto. You
can check out the list at http://tasteoftoronto.com/chef-line-up/. What a great line up!

Additionally, there are some new restaurants that will be
attending this year's Taste of Toronto including Alo, Piana Piano,
Antler, Miku, Kanpai, Carver, and Mamakas.

Tickets for Taste of Toronto are on sale now! General tickets
start at $19, youth under 12 are free, and youth 12 to 17 are $10. VIP
and AMEX ticket packages are also available.With an exciting festival
ahead, more talented chefs and restaurants, plus new and
exciting programming, will be announced soon. For more information visit tasteoftoronto.com or follow us on Twitter@TasteofToronto and Instagram@TasteofToronto.

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Author

Welcome to Foodaholic! A Toronto-based food reviews, travel and lifestyle blog. My name is Sandi, and I am a female living in the city of Toronto (Canada). I am also an entrepreneur working in the field of logistics and e-commerce. When I am not working, I enjoy blogging, traveling, reading, taking photos, and of course eating. I started this blog as I am an avid foodie who also loves to travel, and I wanted an outlet to share my personal experiences.

Contact

If you have any questions, suggestions, media inquires, feedback, etc ... please email me at foodaholic12@gmail.com.

Food Rating System

The rating list is based on the estimated price of a meal for one person (including taxes).

$ = Inexpensive, under $15$$ = Moderately affordable, between $15-$25$$$ = Expensive, between $25-$50$$$$ = Very expensive or fine dining, $50 and up

Disclaimer (Reviews)

This was blog was started for the purpose of sharing my opinions of restaurants that I have dined at (or took out delivery). Some of you may have different taste buds or a completely different dining experience than what I've had, and may disagree with my reviews, which is fine. However, please note that all of the reviews featured on this blog are solely based on my dining experience. Thanks :)